BABYLON THE GREAT, sometimes called Mystery Babylon or the Whore of Babylon, is not just a symbol for the end-times religion of Antichrist. She—or, more properly, it—is an ancient entity who aspires to the throne of God.

We finally begin our study of one of the most mysterious and hotly debated topics in end times prophecy: Who or what is Mystery Babylon? Over the last 2,000 years, Christians have taught that it is Rome (or the Roman Catholic Church), Mecca (or Islam), Jerusalem, a reconstituted Babylon in Iraq, London, and New York City.

We think Mystery Babylon is an entity known to the ancient Sumerians as Inanna, and to later civilizations as Ishtar, Astarte, and the Queen of Heaven. This week, we give you some of Inanna’s back story, as it was told to the Sumerians, to give you an idea of the power she wielded over their culture and religion.